This condensed story is based on my understanding of Max Tegmark’s book Life: 3.0 (Aug 2017).

A common way of describing the early Universe’s existence is: a space filled with particles/energy bouncing on each other. How, out of that seemingly chaotic but almost homogeneous structure, did the situation we experience today develop? Answer: Entropy!
Well, gravity was already there (how?) and brought some dynamic systematics into the bouncing. That is why we see a Universe that is full of interesting things like galaxies, sun’s, planets, animals and people. They are all there due to the effects of the laws of physics!
So physics is telling us.
Those laws are always optimizing the physical processes; mini-or maximizing. And the processes are either 1. that something causes something or 2. a goal-oriented behavior. I’ll try to use 2 for this review.
Entropy is the most powerful and basic process in the happening and is trying to optimize energy dissipation. As if it is a ‘Goal’ of Nature. But energy dissipation/Entropy increase is not all there is. If so, everything would just be a lifeless homogenous ‘soup’ and we would not be here to observe. Schroedinger’s life-loop-hole law, that Entropy can decrease locally if it means that the total Entropy increases is what makes LIFE possible. And, as life is an efficient Entropy – increaser Nature invented Replication as a sub-goal of Energy dissipation in order to increase Entropy. This has been going on for some 13.8 B years.
Consequently, LIFE was invented by Universe to increase Entropy. That happened some 4.5 B years ago; maybe as described by Jeremy England’s energy dissipation-driven adaptation theory?

This conclusion results from an attempt to explain Universe’s goal oriented behavior:
Life, using Max’s definition ( a Process that can retain its complexity and replicate), is increasing Entropy efficiency by following Schroedinger’s ‘life loop hole’ theory that allows Entropy to decrease locally and temporarily if it increases Entropy totally..
Not all living organisms are replicating with the same efficiency! That is called Darwinian evolution with its NATURAL Selection that made more efficient replicators increase more. Note that also such behavior of Life as to eat, drink, and sleep are sub-goals of replication and, thus, Entropy – increasing.
Then, Organisms got Intelligence because it was also an efficient Entropy increaser. Some got more of it. Enter: Homo Sapiens; some 200-300 K years ago. But still all Life – processes were determined by Darwinian Evolution: hard- as well as software. That is what Max calls Life 1.0.
Intelligence, however, meant that knowledge about Nature’s functioning increased and HS started tinker with, first the software and more and more of Organisms’ software got designed instead of evolved and we reached a level that Max names: Life 2.0.Thus arrived the cultural epoch where, still, hardware mainly evolved but software got increasingly designed. Medicines were developed to help improve bodily functions., chips were placed in the brain, replacement of whole malfunctioning body parts e.g. arms, legs found technological solutions..
So, where are we now, today’s Homo Sapiens?
1st: We do not understand much of what really IS going on around us as we do not have all the information needed. We know quite a bit but a lot is still missing. Many humans do not put high probability on what the sciences have dug out of knowledge so there is little unity in the human domain about what we really are.
2nd: Many of us believe that we understand what is going on around us. Some are more humble. But we have learnt how to change some of the evolutionary processes.
3rd: Many of us, Homo Sapiens, act as if we are the peak of Universe, because that is what the institutionalized, businesslike religions and other ideologies tell us.
Some people realize that we are a part of a huge energy dissipation process but we do not necessarily feel it; it should be more difficult to avoid realizing that we are part of a self-replicating process and as replication is there in order to make Entropy more effective, it is evident what is going on.
Feelings, rather than rational thinking direct humanity’s behavior along lines of increasing Entropy.
4th: Some of the HS, harboring Human Super- Intelligence, are on the way of creating Organisms where hard- as well as software are Designed rather than Evolved. If and when these projects succeed we enter the realm of Life 3.0, that, for sure, will upset the happening quite a bit. The most crucial part of the Life 3.0 projects is how to, when ASI (artificial super intelligence) arrives, make it a ‘friendly’ ASI. We do not want to experience the same development as the horse, when the engine, using fossil fuel arrived.
But that is another story; Max Tegmark’s book: Life 3.0 tells the whole story.

2 Responses to THE CREATION STORY – VERSION 2017

It’s not easy to find a debauchy group if you preach the material worldview! One who accepts that ALL are made of the same three building blocks: protons, neutrons and electrons; that no mysterious spirits or souls exist and the laws of physics determine.
The systems of society created by HS (the cultural evolution) have not yet led to harmony between the organisms on Earth. Is there a chance for any other system to lead to the situation that most HS (Homo Sapiens) want? In other words:
What are the chances of the Golden Rule, or even the Silver Rule, to once govern the relationships between all life on Earth?

Maybe this is how one can you look at this?

All matter / energy in the universe, incl. Homo Sapiens (HS), is constantly, and unrelentingly involved in the Entropy Process (E). All living organisms degenerate and die. The proof is delivered daily. E, of course, also influences HS conscious actions, because action is what the degenerative matter does.
E have no feelings! Feels no limitations and does not react to the consequences of its progress. It runs as fast as it can ….. carry or burst.
Without the impact of cultural evolution, HS action would be governed mainly by E. It is one of HS’s positive contributions that trends as those Pinker found, exist at all.
However, HS’s ability to directly register Entropy is inadequate and therefore there are many descriptions of what the individual organism BELIEVEs is going on. One variant is Christianity’s ‘eternal life’.
But no life is infinite or inexhaustible, but is constantly subject to Entropy Impact. No one can contradict this; It’s just to record what happens with your own body over the years. And the Christian’s ‘eternal life’ only happens after the physical organism is ‘dead’. How can you define something in a more illogical way and still gather ‘believers’?
E also governs in periods when E appears negative, such as when a life comes to and develops. This happens because local and temporary negative Entropy serves the overall system’s necessity to constantly increase. (Schrodinger’s life loophole). HS`s E-enhancing ability is enormous and the multiplying function is the most effective contribution to Entropy growth.
The ‘multiplication’ is governed by the biological evolution process where the Natural Selection sets the tone.
The organisms strive for continuous improvement for themselves, along different tracks: material standard, entertainment, power and glory, sex experiences, for example. E has a finger with that game as well.
E lies (through the Natural Selection), for example, behind what drives people to gain power and wealth, both with relatively honest means (e.g. playing soccer, selling gadgets that HS wants or do not like to live without) but also with the help of of corruption, fraud, theft etc. which is probably as difficult to control as yourself ..
I think that most of our experience in the Human Sphere of the Universe is, at the bottom, the consequences of E – forces in different forms and expressions; As long as a certain phenomenon is called a mystery, understanding is far and the door is open to `storytellers` to exploit ambiguity; often for their own gain.
An HS is a ‘victim’ of the information that has found its way into the system.
The victims are especially those who buy amazing and incredible stories; that is, those who can not take on the high probability-facts we have, after all; they are not few.
It is by no means clear that HS can overcome the forces behind the Natural Selection (read: E) during its time here on Earth. But there are those who believe that organisms can be rendered immortal by means of bio engineering.
With Max Tegmark’s LIV 3.0 and ASI, a big step would be taken against a totally new order and perhaps limitation of Es power, if his goals of control of ASI value definitions can be achieved. (which I strongly doubt: see my comment on the CREATION STORY)
The Chinese have recently declared that they intend to be leaders in AI! Doesn’t it mean that the race towards world domination with the help of A(S)I also has started and that Max `dream` about humanity’s interaction to control ASI is exactly that …. an illusion? HS has not even agreed to destroy the potential of the suicide tools she has created (the nuclear weapons); what motivates a belief that HS could agree to share the fruits of AI between all life on earth; or even within The Human Domain?
When I observe how my cat responds in our dialogue, my feelings are not affected if I think that I know a bit about how the information exchange works. It’s no big mystery to me: the cat has life with intelligence but partly of a different kind and capacity than mine; It can communicate and understand. But for the cat, I’m probably a big MYSTERIUM. The less you know, the more is mysterious.
My material worldview and insights into how all-embracing E is does not need to interfere with my emotional relationships with Nature. But it may help to appreciate creative products such as music, more. This as a kind of spiritual substitute for mysticism, which is lost when knowledge grows. I’m not afraid that increasing knowledge about the universe will make my life less interesting to live but hope my organism will continue to put high value on interesting music.
I assign high Bayesian probability that E (13.8 years of experience) is unstoppable and that HS’s success through the Cultural Evolution is a most temporary phenomenon seen in a Universal perspective and, if so, the dream of the Golden Rule is a .. …. just that: illusion.

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Perhaps a future for Homo Sapiens (HS) in analogy with the horse is better than trying to minimize changes in today’s Human Domain (read: the attempt by HS to maintain the supremacy she believes that she has)? Are we not, uncontrollably, too many for what the Earth can take care of? Is our management system something worth keeping? Is current harmony levels between people really the best that can be achieved? And what about our relationships with other lives?
What are the odds that an ASI would refrain from forcing HS to a reasonable view of its place in the Universe irrespective of what values ​​we try to install.
If, on the other hand, ASI develops with the goal of maximizing the happiness of ALL LIFE on earth, a desirable state, as often requested, might become reality? A substitute for Darwin’s Evolution (which has caused a lot of misery) with one who seeks survival for those who are best at harmonious coexistence could restructure life on Earth; one can certainly find a solution to the problem of feeding the organisms / LIFE without having to eat each other as is the case now.
So, the best happening may not be an ASI acting towards goals that we can formulate. Probably can an ASI design something much better if it is given more freedom to act happiness-creator?
It is not easy to justify a positive view of HS’s ability to enforce changes that would create a harmonious world.